1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to dispensers for rolls of sheet material, and more particularly, to toilet roll dispensers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, dispensers have been provided for dispensing rolls of sheet material, such as, toilet paper. These dispensers normally had a housing which could house at least two rolls of toilet tissue. These dispensers however, suffered from the fact that they could only dispense toilet tissue rolls of a single given size diameter core. This thus, required a plurality of different dispensers to be used, one for each different diameter size core.
Additionally, there have been toilet roll dispensers housing two rolls of toilet paper which included blocking structure to prevent the dispensing of the second roll of toilet tissue prior to the exhaustion of the first roll of toilet tissue of the first roll. These blocking devices, however, were often very complicated and costly to make.
It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved tissue roll dispenser to overcome the disadvantages of prior tissue roll dispensers while affording additional structural and operating advantages.
An important feature of the invention is provision of a dispenser which is a relatively simple and economical construction.
Another feature of the invention is provision of a dispenser of a type set forth which has the ability to dispense sheets of tissue, from rolls having cores of various diameters.
A still further feature of the invention is the provision of a dispenser of the type set forth which prevents access to the second roll of toilet tissue until the first roll has been substantially exhausted.
Certain ones of these and other features of the invention may be obtained by providing a dispenser for selectively dispensing first and second rolls of sheet material respectively wrapped around first and second cores. The dispenser includes a housing defining a storage compartment for the first and second rolls and an opening, first and second core support structures disposed in the housing for respectively supporting differently sized first and second cores and a divider slidably carried by the housing and covering a portion of the opening. The divider is movable between a first dispensing position, wherein a first portion of the opening is uncovered to allow access to the first roll and a second portion of the opening is covered to prevent access to the second roll, and a second position, wherein the first portion of the opening is covered and the second portion opening is uncovered to allow access to the second roll. The divider includes an adjustable blocking plate for preventing movement of the divider from the first dispensing position to the second dispensing portion until substantially all the sheet material has been exhausted from the first roll. The plate is positionable on the divider in a plurality of positions relative to the first core support structure to compensate for different diameter cores.
The invention consists of certain novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention